Pixie Hollow, High River
My husband and I drove out to Pixie Hollow Bookstore in High River (45 minutes south of Calgary), to meet with a kids’ book club. We met in the park, and swatted mosquitoes while I read to them. Then I signed books and the kids snacked and had their faces painted.
This was followed by lunch in a railroad dining car (awesome tea!), and a tour of the lovely library by a re-found childhood friend.
Then we drove home through a gorgeous turbulent Alberta summer day.
Later, I received this wonderful email from my friend, written to Griffith, the fictional wizard who owns howweirdcanyouget.com.
“I am sure the pigs will be flying by any minute Griffith. It has been an amazing day. I went back in time!! It was the best spell ever and I wrote it my self. How could I do this you ask? Well I will tell you. I wrote to an old friend and she hopped back into my life and 37 years just disappeared. I sure wish everyone could have a spell like this.”
Me too!
Maureen
Contest Update
The winning and runner-up contest entries have been posted on howweirdcanyouget.com.
Maureen
Take Joy
I’ve been reading Jane Yolen’s book on writing, Take Joy, a book for writers.
“There are writers who believe that writing is agony, and that’s the best anyone can say of it. Gene Fowler’s famous words are quoted all the time: ‘Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.’ Or Red Smith’s infamous screed: ‘There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.’
“But by God that’s a messy way of working. And blood is extremely hard to get off of white paper.
“… I suggest you learn to write not with blood and fear, but with joy.”
I choose joy.
Maureen
English Bay, Vancouver
Two blocks from our hotel. I had to be barefoot in the sand, even in the spitting rain.
